[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 13, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H666]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMPEACH SECRETARY NOEM
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Thank you. The Chair now recognizes the
gentlewoman from Illinois, Ms. Kelly, for 5 minutes.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On January 13, 2026, page H666, in the second column, the
following appeared: (Ms. KELLY of Illinois was recognized to
address the House for 5 minutes.)
The online version has been corrected to read: The SPEAKER pro
tempore. Thank you. The Chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from
Illinois, Ms. Kelly, for 5 minutes.
========================= END NOTE =========================
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, before my colleague from Texas
walks out, I will do whatever I can do to help him because the
Chicagoland area is number three.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce I will be impeaching Homeland
Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Secretary Noem has violated the
Constitution, and she needs to be held accountable for terrorizing our
communities.
Operation Midway Blitz has torn apart the Chicagoland area. President
Trump declared war on Chicago, and then he brought violence and
destruction to our city and our suburbs in the form of immigration
enforcement.
In my district, Federal agents rapelled down from Black Hawk
helicopters and burst into an apartment building in the South Shore
area. They dragged U.S. citizens and noncitizens alike out of their
beds in the middle of the night. They claimed the apartment was
infiltrated by members of a Venezuelan gang. I don't understand this
President's obsession with Venezuela, but they did not arrest a single
member from that gang.
I visited that apartment building and saw firsthand the destruction
those agents left. Doors to people's homes or apartments were kicked
down. Belongings, including little kids' toys, were strewn about in the
hallway. That raid and so many others shook our community, not just
immigrants, but everyone.
Now, Secretary Noem has brought her reign of terror to Minneapolis
after she left Charlotte and Raleigh. We have all seen what happened.
An ICE officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in cold blood.
Without knowing any of the facts or an investigation, Secretary Noem
lied about what happened. She called a beloved 37-year-old mom a
domestic terrorist.
Secretary Noem and her rogue agents are the ones terrorizing our
communities, and she is breaking the law to do so. I will hold her
accountable, and I am filing three Articles of Impeachment against
Secretary Noem.
Number one, obstruction of Congress. Secretary Noem has denied me and
other Members of Congress oversight of ICE detention facilities. It is
our constitutional duty to find out what is happening in these centers
where people are reportedly being treated like less than animals.
Two, violation of public trust. Secretary Noem directed ICE agents to
arrest people without warrants, used tear gas against citizens, and
ignored due process. She claims she is taking murderers and rapists off
our streets, but none of the 614 people arrested during Operation
Midway Blitz has been charged or convicted of murder or rape.
Three, self-dealing. Secretary Noem has abused her power for personal
benefit. She steered a Federal contract to a new firm run by a friend,
her friend. Her propaganda campaign to recruit ICE agents cost
taxpayers $200 million.
{time} 1030
She made a video that turned the South Shore raid into something that
looked more like a movie trailer. Make no mistake, this is not a movie.
This is real life, and real people are being hurt and killed.
I really have to wonder who the people are behind the mask. These DHS
agents have no identifying factor. From all their botched raids and
officer-involved shootings, I have to ask: What is their training like?
What is the vetting? Is Secretary Noem recruiting January 6
insurrectionists?
I was one of the last Members of Congress to escape the House gallery
on January 6. I remember hiding on my hands and knees and running
through the hallways to a safe room. Insurrectionists are not fit to
serve as law enforcement.
I realize that the impeachment of Secretary Noem does not bring Renee
back. True justice would be Renee alive today, at home with her family.
Impeachment doesn't bring back the four other people killed by
immigration officers this year, including a man in Chicago. We cannot
bring them back to their loved ones. What we can do, though, is impeach
Secretary Noem, hold her accountable, and let her know the public is
watching.
In this country, we do not kill people in cold blood without
consequences. These are not policy disagreements. These are violations
of her oath of office, and she must answer for her impeachable actions.
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